New Dunes Begin to Take Shape in Ortley Beach

As beach replenishment work moves along in Ortley Beach, the neighborhood’s future dune line is coming into focus.

Large dunes are beginning to take shape along the community’s boardwalk as crews create a 200 foot beach berm in front of them. The replenishment work is moving south-to-north and has reached the border of 6th Avenue, one of Ortley’s main public beaches.

Beachgoers looked on this week as workers pumped sand onto shore through a network of pipes and used heavy equipment to spread it out along the beachfront. But the most noticeable feature of the work is the high dune, which will eventually be vegetated with dune grass during the fall growing season.

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The neighborhood’s dunes were among the smallest in the region, leading to immense damage during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. In the six years since, Toms River Township has spend million of dollars importing sand for emergency repairs to help prevent breaches during coastal storms.

The federal government’s contractor, Weeks Marine, has corralled all equipment at toe of new dune on Fielder Avenue, officials said. Public beaches remain open. Dredging was stalled on Friday due to high surf conditions.